Wednesday, September 30, 2015

They can change India: Several of innovations and interventions emanate from the young. There's a slice of the young generation that does want to change India, for the better.Written by Bibek Debroy | Indian Express | October 1, 2015

I doubt you have heard of Pengdhusi village in Odisha. Until recently, neither had I. Pengdhusi is in Kalahandi district in the tehsil/ block of Thuamul Rampur. In Census 2011, it had a population of only 568; 285 male and 283 female, distributed across 149 households. While Odisha's literacy rate is 72.87 per cent, Pengdhusi's is 48.13 percent; 69.26 per cent for males and 28.51 per cent for females. Out of that population of 568, 281 are SC and 284 are ST. Block and district headquarters are kilometres away. Pengdhusi is deprived and marginalised, still bypassed by development. Out of those 149 households, more than 110 are BPL. However, Pengdhusi is rich in bamboo. Ballpoint pens have proliferated.Typically, these have a tube, with ballpoint, socket and store of ink, and all of this is encased in a shell. I recall there is a Mont Blanc ballpoint pen worth almost $7,50,000. But ballpoint pens with bamboo shells are cheap and can be produced by artisans in Pengdhusi. Produced there, they are now sold over an area that has an ever-increasing radius, extending to block and district headquarters. I know about Pengdhusi thanks to the SBI's "Youth for India" initiative, in existence since 2011. A fellow has one year to work towards being an agent for change in rural and deprived segments, in association with NGOs, instead of perennially complaining about lack of change. Some such fellows subsequently stay on in the development sector.Pengdhusi bamboo ballpoint pens were the outcome of such an intervention. There was an ICDS centre (anganwadi) in Jeypore block (Koraput district of Odisha). There were problems with the supply of food (mid-day meals) to the anganwadi and malnourishment was high. Kitchen gardens solved the problem considerably. An easy cooker made of hay, bamboo and a jute bag is a bit like a hot-case. It is cost effective, economises on fuel and keeps rice hot for six hours. Weavers and self-help groups (SHGs) can make and sell these cookers, providing an alternative source of income to poor households.There is a story from the Dang region of Gujarat, another area where there is plenty of bamboo. How about introducing mechanical tools (axes, splitters, etchers, sanders) made of bamboo? This worked in villages like Ambapara and Dagarpada. Not only are such tools relatively cheaper and locally made, by selling them, artisans can add to their income. Conventional stoves for cooking result in thick indoor smoke, with adverse health outcomes. Redesigned smokeless stoves with local materials (also in Dang) reduced firewood consumption and improved health. These stoves are easy to make and SHGs can sell them to add to household income. These SBI fellows can be between 21 and 32, though they tend to be towards the upper end of the range.Whenever one feels depressed about what is happening, or not happening, in the country, thebetterindia.com is a good site to inject optimism. Better India isn't only about the young, though the young populate it to a high degree. In Ahmedabad's slums, instead of donating raincoats to slum children, someone teaches them to make raincoats with tarpaulin, buttons and rubber bands. In Mumbai, two young people have thought of a WiFi dustbin. The garbage can is connected to a router and has an LED display. When you use the dustbin to throw in your trash, an access code is generated and you can use the WiFi network. Instead of plastic cutlery, have you heard of edible cutlery made of a mix of jowar, rice and wheat flour? Did you know that human hair, sawdust and bird feathers can be used to clean oil spills from water? My point is not to harp on innovations.Other than Better India, you will find plenty of those on the Honey Bee Network and Sristi (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions) websites. My point is that several of those innovations and interventions emanate from the young. There's a slice of the young generation that does want to change India, for the better.Does the ecosystem facilitate or hinder it? Many countries have a system of compulsory government service, not necessarily equated with conscription.If you look at a list of such countries, there is no correlation with countries that have, or used to have, command and control systems, equated with compulsion. Instead, paragons of market friendliness and economic freedom have such compulsory service. Apart from anything else, such compulsion probably instils a sense of national pride and helps integrate the country. You might argue that the voluntary National Cadet Corps (NCC) and mandatory SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work) introduced in the school curriculum were meant to achieve this end. But neither achieves the purpose. They can't if they are part-time. When someone from Tamil Nadu spends a year in a rural village in Odisha and learns Odia, under the SBI initiative, can you imagine what it does to her perspective? On the other hand, if a student applies to an institution of higher education and says she has taken a gap year, eyebrows will still be raised. A gap year sounds a bit more acceptable than compulsory government service. Without getting into compulsion, can one not incentivise people to take gap years (by giving such experience weight for admissions)? (The NCC has incentives, but they don't amount to much.) As a metaphor, I haven't come across the expression "rat race" before the 1930s. There may be a moral in this.The writer is member, Niti Aayog. Views are personal. Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/they-can-change-india/

Readers' CommentsRamesh Grover: It is good to know about SBI's role in encouraging innovations in our backyard. The advantage of banks playing such a role is that they have an efficient methodology and are systematic in perceiving, narrowing down, selecting, implementing, and monitoring such opportunities. It is for the media to focus on this initiative to play a pragmatic role in bringing such ideas to the notice of other public sector banks.Indianwellwisher: Even if we win the rat race, at most we can be a rat. There is no reason to doubt the innovativeness of humans in any region, including the so called 'uneducated', If politicians and governments don't interfere, people will prosper unhindered. Often the 'educated' class is too constrained in its thinking because of its rigid formal education. Then we invent laternal thinking ...G M: Our youths have immense potential of innovation. If some how we channelize their energy properly we can excell. Question is - Whether we have in us to bring out best from us as the foreigners do successfully with us.

Cyberwellness

September 2015 | UNESCO Bangkok Office

Dear readers,

As ICT becomes more ubiquitous, and the barriers between on and offline worlds start to blur, especially in the lives of our youth, it is essential to provide the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes in the minds of the students in promoting the notion of being a digital citizen. With the rapid expansion of access to technology, stakeholders can underestimate the simultaneous need for developing not only digitally literate, but also digitally mindful and informed young people.

As September celebrates the International Literacy Day on Sustainable Societies, and promotes the importance of literacy (including digital), it is paramount to consider developing appropriate knowledge and awareness when equipping with digital literacy in order for young learners to be able to critically assess the risk factors of Internet use and develop resilience to cope with them. Such competencies amongst young learners will be an essential factor to foster healthy and empowering digital environments for the future.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition!

Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.

Highlights:

Striking a Balance Between Digital Opportunities and Related Risks (by UNESCO Bangkok, ICT in Education) This article emphasizes the increasing importance of addressing the hyper focus on digital access through awareness, related policies and programmes to nurture a simultaneous culture of digital citizenship among youth and children.

ICT Opportunities and Threats for Children (by Katarzyna Pawelczyk, Project Manager, Voices of Youth Citizens, UNICEF)This article features an interview with the Project Manager for the Voices of Youth Citizens initiatives at UNICEF, which explores the current situation in regard to children's digital realities, features positive and engaging examples of digital use, reflects on the remaining challenges and considerations for stakeholders, and provides recommendations for promoting and ensuring digital safety for our youth.

Developing Good Citizens in the Digital Age This article features the United World College of Southeast Asia in Singapore, which is using around 7500 school owned laptops and tablets every day, and infusing technology into their teaching and learning practices.

TOUCH Cyber Wellness This article features the TOUCH NGO in Singapore, which is supported by the ministries of the country as the leader and contributor to cyber wellness and media education.

Empowering Youth Netizens Through Intel's Digital Wellness Program This article features the Intel's Digital Wellness curriculum designed to promote awareness of benefits and dangers of Internet-based interaction, familiarizes students with the types of cyber threats, consequences and protective measures, and nurtures a strong character through cyber wellness values.

News and Events:

Policies and Initiatives to Promote Children's Safe, Effective, and Responsible Use of ICT: Asia Pacific Consultation (9-11 September 2015, Bangkok, Thailand) This article features the recent Consultation meeting on the theme of 'Safe, effective, and responsible use of ICT', which brought together around 60 participants, including governments officials, representatives of international organizations, private sector and NGOs, teachers, parents, and students. The article also includes the voices from the meeting, reflecting on the importance of cyber wellness and digital citizenship.

2015 Digital Media and Developing Minds Conference (13-16 October 2015, Irvine, CA, USA) Bringing together over 250 scientists and researchers, the conference aims to identify and report on the research on the impact of digital media, establish a dialog between medical and social researchers, exchange ideas, and meet funders, educators, and industry.

New Publications:

Students, Computers and Learning This OECD publication looks at how students use of ICT devices have evolved in the recent years, further exploring how education systems and schools are integrating ICT into teaching and learning.

Main Science and Technology Indicators This latest OECD publication provides indicators that present the level and structure of the efforts of the OECD member countries, and seven non-member economies.

Next Issue: The October issue will focus on the theme of EMIS and ICT supported planning. If our readers are interested in contributing to this edition, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Disclaimer The opinions expressed in the documents included in this newsletter are those of the authors and editors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of UNESCO, nor of any particular Division or Office. All rights to the resources included in this guide remain with their respective copyright owners, as indicated for each resource.

Friday, September 25, 2015

UNESCO Communication and Information Weekly Newsletter

73 percent of women have already been exposed to, or have experienced, some form of online violence. Online violence against women exists in many forms, including online harassment, public shaming, sexual assaults and induced suicides. In the European Union, 9 million women -some as young as 15 years old- have experienced online violence. In response to these worrying trends, the Broadband Commission Working Group on Gender launched today a report titled 'Combatting Online Violence Against Women and Girls: A Worldwide Wake-Up Call.'

The rapid progress of technology has shaken the roots of different aspects of social life, and journalism has not been an exception. In Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244) newspapers such as Gazeta Express, Tribuna and several other outlets have switched to online-only editions. While adopted for print media outlets, the Code of Ethics of the Kosovo Press Council has not yet addressed the new ethical journalistic dilemmas brought by the new media landscape. To tackle this issue, UNESCO supported the organization of a workshop to discuss the shortcomings of the Press Code of Kosovo regarding online media self-regulation and some potential amendments to the Code.

The 12th Meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) will be held from 4 to 6 October 2015 in Abu Dhabi on the generous invitation of the National Archives of the United Arab Emirates. The host institution is a leading research and archival institution, charged with preserving and documenting the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region in general.

Turkmenistan is turning to its journalists in an attempt to popularize the uptake of science among its youthful population. This was the context of a UNESCO workshop held from 17 to 18 September in the country's capital, Ashgabat.

On 10 and 11 September 2015 UNESCO organized a mentoring workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, on local radio management for eight community radios taking part in the SIDA-funded project "Empowering Local Radios with ICTs."

The two-day workshop saw participants deliberating on various management issues within their particular radio stations, as well as on measures to be taken to ensure that the needs of their respective communities are met. Participants learnt from each other and experts attending the workshop about best practices to make their radio stations run smoothly, ensuring the production of quality content.

The first-ever "Conference and Consultation on the Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society and Internet Privacy" for Member States - Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Martin, St. Lucia and St Vincent & The Grenadines, and Associate States - Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) opened in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts-Nevis yesterday.

"The State of Broadband 2015: Broadband as a Foundation for Sustainable Development" report was launched by the Broadband Commission on 21 September 2015. It shows that the overall growth in broadband has decreased significantly over the last years and the gap between the people offline and online remains persistent. 57 % of the world's population are still not connected to the Internet. This report shall be considered as an urgent reminder and call to take action to connect the next and last billion people around the globe and to ensure that they have the capacities and content to make use of the Internet for enhancing their livelihood and achieve sustainable development.

UNESCO organized a National Dialogue on the Safety of Journalists during Elections in Yangon on 14 September 2015. The workshop provided a timely platform to align and build joint strategies around the media coverage of the electoral process and safety of journalists before, during and after the elections. Senior representatives from the Government of Myanmar, media organizations and stakeholders openly discussed the role of media in the up-coming in November 2015 elections and ways to ensure the safety of journalists.

Adding to global knowledge resources about the Internet, UNESCO has launched a new study called "Principles for governing the Internet". This reviews and analyses more than 50 Internet-specific declarations and frameworks relevant to Internet principles.

From 22 to 30 September, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, is in New York to take part in a number of high-level events within the framework of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. She will join Heads of State, Government leaders, UN High Level Representatives and civil society for the historic adoption of new Sustainable Development Goals, from 25 to 27 September. These represent a universal, ambitious, sustainable development agenda, an agenda "of the people, by the people and for the people," crafted with UNESCO's active involvement.

Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa with the highest number of refugees. More than 630,000 refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan are accommodated in 23 refugee camps spread across the country. The Government maintains an open-door-policy and continues to allow humanitarian access and protection to those seeking refuge on its territory. The majority seeking refuge are women and children. Due to this demographic, within the refugee camps, gender based violence and women's inequality remain preoccupations.

More than 100 people from the media sector, the international community, the government and civil society came together on 8 September to launch UNESCO's Report on Media Development in Jordan, based on the UNESCO/IPDC Media Development Indicators. "It is one of our best studies, if not the best," said Guy Berger, UNESCO Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development, during the event that took place at 'Shams' in old Amman. "We are pleased to present it to Jordanian stakeholders as a contribution to further develop the media as a key vehicle towards becoming a knowledge society."